Poling a Genoa advice please

[jamhass]

Mostly agree with what's been said, with one exception.

With a jib on a furler, preset the pole height, length and foreguy. Leave the afterguy loose. Attach the pole to the jib sheet with the jib furled. Unfurl the jib, pole comes with it very nicely. Trim and set the after guy. Done.

[Nadezhda]

I have a high-clewed yankee. I set the pole on the mast at the right height, extend it, add an uphaul to the middle of the pole and clip it on to the sheet as close to the clew as possible when the sail is furled/rolled-up. I attach a downhaul that goes around a pulley on the bow and back to the cockpit. Then, start unfurling and winching in on the sheet whilst letting the downhaul run freely. The pole will be pulled back to the desired angle and then the sail can be tightened as required by pulling on the downhaul. When you want to reef, let a bit of slack on the sheet and wind in the sail. The pole will go with the clew keeping maximum sail control at all points of reef.

[fallingeggs]

Originally Posted by Snowpetrel

Sometimes on longer runs I will tie in a lazy sheet that I run through the beak, this reduces chafe on the good sheets and means I can drop the sail off the pole without having to gybe it across or relead the lazy sheet back to windward.

Hey Snowpetrel, this statement interests me, but I don't think I get it. What do you mean by tying in the lazy sheet? I haven't had a chafe problem yet, but I also haven't been on long runs.

[Boston Blackie]

I rig similarly to fallingeggs. Always run reaching sheets for the 135% yankee on the rail a foot or so forward as well as the closehauled sheets. I have extended our track on the mast and added garages top and bottom for the lazy pole to nest and latch into, with the foreguy always clipped to the pole jaw end. Winging out from the mast is just a matter of unlatching the jaw from the lower garage, snapping the lazy windward reaching sheet into the jaw, snapping on the windward afterguy which is preset for length, and lowering the pole on the mast to swing it out to windward. Then from the cockpit snug the foreguy and trim the lazy windward reaching sheet. This allows alternating back to conventional reaching leeward lead or even closehauled for MOB or collision avoidance without touching the pole. Dousing just raise the pole lift and the pole swings in to the mast. No need to go onto the foredeck.

[Deltasailor]

J24 s are great boats and fab to race but need body weight on the rail. One man on deck and two sleeping is not safe (nothing to do with a polled out genoa) Any number of crew have been lost on J24s if they broach badly water floods the cabin and down they go! Any self respecting crew would have a spinny up down wind and three/four crew on deck.
The kite is launched from the cabin entrance hatch, the pole clipped jaws down on the windward sheet and to the ring on the mast. A pole up hall is clipped to the centre of the poll and a down hall to a block in the middle of the fore deck all lines lead aft including the halyard. The aim is to do all the spinnaker work from aft the mast trying to avoid weight on the fore deck as this lifts the rudder out of the water. In very windy conditions we reefed the main before the need to strike the kite.

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by fallingeggs

Hey Snowpetrel, this statement interests me, but I don't think I get it. What do you mean by tying in the lazy sheet? I haven't had a chafe problem yet, but I also haven't been on long runs.

I take any half decent old bit of line and tie it into the clew of the genoa if its going to be a long run and chafe is an issue. Then this line can be led through the pole beak and outside all the stanchions to the spinnaker brace block well aft and onto a winch.

Then I can unroll the genoa and use the extra sheet rather than the normal genoa sheets which can both be left ready to use for windward work.

A lot depends on the exact setup for each boat. Sometimes the normal sheets lead clear of staunchions and I will use them. Sometimes I will re-lead the normal sheets outboard.

Many many differnt ways to deal with poling out a headsail, and its not dangeous like a kite can be. Worst case scenaio just blow the halyard and leave the pole set high and aft to keep the sail mostly clear of the water. Or if you have a furler just roll away the sail.

[JohnRob27]

"Many many differnt ways to deal with poling out a headsail,"
You're not kidding!

I will play around with mine to get the best way for my little boat.

[Perfusser]

Hi John Rob,
I race on an Endeavour 26 from Belmont (Harbinger 2). We usually set the spinnaker, but if the wind is over 20 knots, we know the "fun in a bag: won't make us any faster and we pole out the head sail. The number 3 is a perfect fit for the pole, the number 2 is ok, but the 1- well would never pole out the one- just set the kite.
We always have the jaw up.
We both use topping lift and kicker with the kite and head sail.

We have taken the life lines off, so no issues with anything getting caught up- but we don't go offshore.

If your ever at Belmont say gday. Last race of the season this week.
cheers

[JohnRob27]

Originally Posted by Perfusser

Hi John Rob,
I race on an Endeavour 26 from Belmont (Harbinger 2). We usually set the spinnaker, but if the wind is over 20 knots, we know the "fun in a bag: won't make us any faster and we pole out the head sail. The number 3 is a perfect fit for the pole, the number 2 is ok, but the 1- well would never pole out the one- just set the kite.
We always have the jaw up.
We both use topping lift and kicker with the kite and head sail.

We have taken the life lines off, so no issues with anything getting caught up- but we don't go offshore.

If your ever at Belmont say gday. Last race of the season this week.
cheers

Hi Perfusser

do yo sail out of LMYC on a saturday?

I would love to see your setup.
I have recently bought mine from a bloke that raced out of Gosford. He won the something a few years ago. My boat is called Kytan.

The lifelines were off mine, but put them back on for the family.
No racing yet.
There are some things on the boat i am unsure of. So seeing yours would be good for me to compare.
Mine is off Valentine. So just up the road!

Cheers.

[Perfusser]

We do race on Saturdays, We usually arrive at the dock at 11am. for a coffee, discuss strategy and talk BS.
Harbinger is moored at the club, so easy access.
You are more than welcome to meet.
cheers
Perfusser

[Foolish]

Poling out the genoa, on the windward side of the boat, is commonly done at night in the Singlehanded Transpac race, when the skipper wants to sleep without the spinnaker up. You'll find that this is much more stable on the boat than a spinnaker, and your autopilot will be able to handle it much better.

[JohnRob27]

Originally Posted by Perfusser

We do race on Saturdays, We usually arrive at the dock at 11am. for a coffee, discuss strategy and talk BS.
Harbinger is moored at the club, so easy access.
You are more than welcome to meet.
cheers
Perfusser

Hi Perfusser

I forgot we were going in to the Anzac exhibit last Saturday. So couldn't get down there.
Thanks for asking.
Meet up some other time maybe.

Cheers